Where does “flag” come from?
flag (Chinese) comes from Japanese フラグ, from English flag, from English flack, from Middle English flacken, from German flackern, from Middle High German vlackern, from Proto-Germanic flakuraz, from Proto-Indo-European plāg- — to wander; to fill.
flag (Chinese): flag
Definitions
- flag
Ancestry of “flag”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | フラグ | flag (a piece of cloth as a visual signal) |
| 2 | English | flag | A piece of cloth, often decorated with an emblem,... |
| 3 | English | flack | To flutter; palpitate; To hang loosely; flag; To... |
| 4 | Middle English | flacken | to palpitate, flutter; to move to and fro,... |
| 5 | German | flackern | to flicker |
| 6 | Middle High German | vlackern | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | flakuraz | shaking, wavering |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | plāg- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pelə- | to wander; to fill |